So did God speak to Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte? Maybe he did, and maybe he didn’t. What is the point in being fixated on a personal matter between a man and his god? Filipinos, after all, like to think they maintain a “personal” relationship with one god or another. Is Duterte any different from the average Filipino?
Ask any random Filipino on the street about how often she communes with her God and chances are you will be told that she and the man upstairs talk everyday. When a Filipino says he talks with God everyday, how does one interpret that? Is it a figure of speech? Or should it be taken literally — that on most days said person sits at a table opposite The Almighty and exchanges views on life over pancit and a can of Coke?
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It is, of course, easy to take a literal interpretation of a claim that one had been spoken to directly by God and turn it into an object of wry mockery. This, in fact, is the low-hanging fruit Duterte’s critics are now picking with glee…
“Philippine prez Duterte says god told him to stop swearing,” wrote Human Rights Watch’s Andrew Stroehlein on Twitter. “Did god mention the death squads?”
One can, for that matter, ask Filipinos such similarly-themed questions. Considering that churches in the Philippines are packed every Sunday and the queues to priests serving communion long, it is quite reasonable to wonder why corruption, thievery, fraud, debauchery, narcissism, sloth, idolatry, gossip, and adultery remain important parts of the Filipino way of life. Indeed, do Filipinos, Duterte critics and supporters alike, even hold an iota of moral ascendancy to set their tongues wagging about Duterte’s conversation with God about his swearing?
Every one of the Philippines’ presidents and most of its politicians, for that matter, build political collateral on the back of how they project themselves to the public as vassals of God. This is a “democracy” after all, where leaders and representatives are elected by popular vote. The medieval mindset ingrained in Philippine politics, as such, merely reflects the character of the society that grants its officers a mandate to govern.
If Duterte asserts he had been spoken to by God, a good Catholic is obliged to just say amen. So be it. Prayers and directives issued by the Almighty, after all, are matters of faith and are not, as such, subject to the quaint critical inquiry we are seeing today.
benign0 is the Webmaster of GetRealPhilippines.com.
Maybe his undiagnosed schizophrenia told him what to do
http://www.scoopitph.com/2016/09/55-accomplishments-of-duterte-on-his.html
How about those accomplishments for schizo president? For just the first 100 days.
Nah, Duterte is just a “genius” president.
https://youtu.be/ShuLWWZavzw
Benign0,
You have stooped to all time lows with your continued support for this terrible president.
Seriously man, aren’t you ashamed?
Joe.
Joe, who is Benign0 supposed to support? Who do you support?
“Seriously man, aren’t you ashamed?”
Not as ashamed as you should be for posting such dumb crap.
I guess he expects Benign0 to support Leni Robredo.
The horrible president is on the verge of changing the country for the better.
Wake up already!
Duterte over your lord panot anytime “Joe”. ????
Joe,
Your favored ex-president, baldy, spent too much time persecuting political enemies that this drug problem & the heinous crimes it gave rise to grew into a national cancer—– so much so, that it created a demand for someone YOU dislike such as Duterte. Aren’t you ashamed?
If someone should be ashamed, it’s you. Supporting a turd like Benigno Simeon Aquino III shows your utter lack of intelligence.
It’s similar to how fundamentalists interpret their holy books. They’re now interpreting what Duterte said as such.
“Let the WORDS of my mouth; and the MEDITATION of my heart, be ACCEPTABLE in your sight, Oh Lord, My God …!” From the Book of Psalms, in the Christian Bible , Old Testament…
If God talked to Pres. Duterte, it is okay. If Satan the Devil talked to him. Then, we should be alarmed, and be concerned…
Believers in the Christian religion had many times in communion with God. There were may people in the Roman Catholic Faith and other Christian faith, who have revelations and communion with God.
In the Islamic religion, Allah or God, sent the Archangel Gabriel to dictate the words of God , in the Islamic Koran…
So, are other faiths and religions…
Reading the Christian Bible New Testament and Old Testament can show , how the Prophets and Men of God talked to God.
Whatever you conceive on Pres. Duterte. Whether, he is a Devil Incarnate, or a Man of God; is your personal opinion…
For me, PRAYING is just talking to God. This is the reason prayers must come from the inner core of your heart.
MEDITATION is just listening to God. This is why, you have to be silent; and listen to the inner voices, in your heart…
If you lost, your contact with God; whatever your religious belief. You are like a chicken, running around without a head !
I respect the beliefs of Atheist, Agnostics, etc…they have the right on their own beliefs !
The genius of Duterte. His provocations continue, this time on Filipinos’ faith in God and the surrender of EVERYTHING to the Divine regardless of their effort in helping themselves. It works with the US as many Filipinos now see our “alliance” for what it really is. Just like what Ilda said, he is the World’s Number One Troll.
First, he said that god was a son of a whore (or similar kind of words) and now he ‘listens’ to what god ‘tells’ him to do.
No matter how one slices it, it doesnt wash.
He is very good in changing his mind overnight. Very reliable…. [sic].
@Robert Haighton:
“Putang Ina” does not mean : “God was a son of a whore”…it just mean: “a whore”, literally…
People change minds…everything is not written in a stone…be flexible, will you ?
Hyden,
if the Dutch prime minister says today “I hate Trump” (not very diplomatic to say that) and a month later he says the opposite, then the PM has a big problem domestically. He wants to be re-elected 4 years later. By saying these things, he becomes unreliable and untrustworthy. In politics that are ‘sins’. Basically he dug his own grave, so to speak.
We are not very good in forgiving especially not for people in high positions, but also not for simple people with lower ranks.
‘You dont get a second chance for a first impression’.
Well said.
@Robert Haighton:
Dutch politics is very different from Philippine politics. Dutch culture is very different from Filipino culture. Dutch mindset is different from Filipino mindset…Politicians here in our country; promises the moon and the stars, during the election…after getting elected, they do not fulfill their promises. Then, they will run for re-election, and get elected again ! Erap Estrada was convicted of corruption…he ran for President again, and was almost elected…he ran for Mayor of Manila…he got elected !
See the difference ? I , myself cannot understand my fellow Filipinos. How much more of you !
It is like comparing an Apple to an Orange. What works in your country does not work here, and vice versa !
Hyden,
“What works in your country does not work here and vice versa!
Have you ever tried it? How can you say you dont ike spinach if you never tried it?
Is it because we are far more critical while in your country everything revolves around the harmony-model? Because I dont get it at all why people (the voters) keep accepting those politicians in your country. Maybe it says more about the electorate (population).
I even think it is theoretically possible to become president of the PH with only getting 10% of the votes while all other contenders/candidates get less than 10%.
Really out of this world.
Robert, all the time you post something you compare things to how they are in your country, meanwhile making no sense most of the time (evident in your current post). When ever did Duterte swear at god? Where and when did he say that????
If the Netherlands is such a fantastic country, then what on earth are you doing here?
Please stop your comparisons already, I can’t hear it any longer.
Jimmy,
lets assume you invite me to have dinner at your place. The one ‘responsible’ for preparing dinner, is preparing something I never ate before. I eat it (of course), I like it. Then what I will tell myself is this: “hey, lets make that myself when I am back home, its delicious”.
Food is something innocent of course, but the above applies to all things in life. How will I learn from the mistakes I make? By people who tell me how I can prevent from making those mistakes again. So that means, I change. I am not the same person today that I was yesterday.
We learn from others.
By the way: I think GRP has made numerous comparisons with Singapore. So whats the difference?
Can you at least give an example of the direct consequence of Duterte’s gaffes? Because aside from a few butt hurt COMMENTS from westerners like you I have yet to see orbexperience a real disaster of Dutertes actions so far. And please don’t give me that foresight crap because that’s all you’ve been saying in the past and now that were here none of your doomsday predictions have come to light yet.
Duterte,
you have chosen a very original and creative name.
Robert, instead of going off topic and giving a lame comparison, why don’t you answer my question!
When ever did Duterte swear at god? Where and when did he say that????
Hyden,
(in addition and/or to clearify)
A politician has a public job. What he/she says in public, is important. He/she needs to stand for something and stick by it. That same politician is a representative of a political party. That party has a program (I think you – in the Philippines – call it a platform). That program has to remain the same for the coming 4 years, If a politician of said political party deviates from the party program then not only the politican but also that political party becomes unreliable and untrustworthy. They will notice that 4 years later during the elections.
What a politican says at home or among friends in something completely different. But he/she (the politican) must be sure his friends are ‘sound’. If one (of his/her friends) goes public (with what that politician said) then he/she (the politician) is – politically – in deep shit.
I (as voter) voted for you because of your program. So dont change your program during those 4 years. Otherwise, next term you dont get my vote anymore.
@Robert Haighton:
Leni Robredo, the so called , Vice President was elected thru the HOCUS PCOS machine.
Aquino, himself, a mentally retarded, and with a mental illness issue, was elected President by HOCUS PCOS…
Aquino’s cousin is the Chairman of the Commission on Election.
Some personnel of the Commission on Election, inserted an executable file in the HOCUS PCOS counting machine…an unknown Senatorial candidate named : Villanueva, was even elected. A swine like person, named: Porky Drilon, topped the Senatorial lists.
Leila de Lima, the horny Secretary of Justice, who used inmates in the National Bilibid Prison, as her lovers and fund raisers, is elected Senator !
We have Real problems, Mr. Haighton…these occurrence can be placed in the : “Believe it or Not” series…this is the reason we blog…we blog, because, we care !
Hyden,
the personal problems a person has cannot be blamed on a government, president or queen/king. For as long as there are the typical classes (elite, upper class, middle and lower class), there is no need to be a member of the lower class.
If you are a member of the middle class, then how come that I am a member of the lower class? Probably bec you do or did something, I didnt do. Or probably bec you didnt do, that I did.
I can only blame myself for the situation I am in (in a negative way).
I can only credit myself for the situation I am in (in a positive way).
But I can also blame my parents for putting me up on this planet while they were poor and giving me a rotten future to start with where it is a hard fight/struggle to stay alive, scrape for food and getting no education bec my parents werent able to pay the tuition fees.
But hey, you live in a country where blaming/judging one’s own parents is not allowed (harmony, conformity, holism and collectivism, right and bahala na).
Right!!! Who are we to tell or judge? Faith is a personal thing. Who can question the relationship of a person with HIS GOD? Tatang is no saint, ergo, not perfect. But then GOD appeared before people who were not saints either, many of them, in the Bible long ago, in both the Old and New Testaments. It’s a good thing that at least Tatang possesses good enough virtues worth emulating – courage, wisdom, leadership, love of country, love of our people, love of family….. all these emanate from a love of GOD…. I keep thinking about that “other” man….that when he occupied the Palace, the first thing he did was to have the chapel closed. That spoke a lot to me…….
Rather than swallowing our pride and simply asking what we do not know, we choose to fill in the blanks ourselves and later become humbled. Wisdom was often, in its youth, proven foolish, and ones humiliated were meant to become wise.
Jim DiGriz says:
October 30, 2016 at 2:21 pm
Robert, all the time you post something you compare things to how they are in your country, meanwhile making no sense most of the time (evident in your current post). When ever did Duterte swear at god? Where and when did he say that????
If the Netherlands is such a fantastic country, then what on earth are you doing here?
Please stop your comparisons already, I can’t hear it any longer.
**********************************************
Jim, YOU represent everything that is wrong with this failure of a country. When someone gives you some constructive criticism (have you ever heard of such a thing?) you get all butt hurt and tell them “go back to your country,” Well let me tell YOU a few things. I have MANY VALID criticisms of this country and I talk about them in the hope that people might actually listen and try to correct problems.
Why do I stay here if things are so bad you ask? Well just maybe because I have a wife and children here who are also affected by the inequities and ridiculous things that go on here. I could take my American citizen child and leave, but what about my wife and HER 6 children that are not my children? Do I just leave them all behind to fend for themselves, or do I try in my own small way to address the problems in a constructive manner?
As for comparing to other places…that is normal and expected and is done by everyone who has experienced more than 1 place. Have you ever left your house and gone somewhere? Go to Tagaytay sometime and you will always compare it to Las Piñas, Manila, Dumaguete or Zamboanga. You always compare EVERY place you go to every other place in your experience. I don’t know if Robert has any other countries with which to compare The Philippines but I certainly do.
I’m an American who has lived and worked all over that country. I’ve also lived and worked in Korea, Japan, Vietnam and Saudi Arabia while spending considerable time in Canada,so of course I compare The Philippines to every one of them, in addition to Thailand. In very few ways does The Philippines compare favorably with any of those countries except occasionally with Saudi Arabia, the only country on earth where the people are lazier than Filipinos.
Almost every country on earth has a better education system than here. Few countries have nearly the level of government and corporate corruption as here. Nobody has done so little with so much as have the Filipino people and you should be embarrassed to be Pinoy. Just exactly what do you have to merit having such a thing as “Pinoy Pride?” You have accomplished virtually nothing as a nation, have invented nothing of significance and if the past is any measure, you never will.
Just for clarification Jerry, I am from Europe and not a Filipino. I get what you are saying. I myself have heard it many times in the past.
But….
Robert is seriously annoying the living daylights out of me with his constant… “but in the Netherlands”…
“Blablabla”
He is constantly holding everything to the standards of his country. The Netherlands is not the only country on the planet and far from perfect I might add, so give it a fucking rest already with that.
Ever heard me constantly comparing everything to my country? I never even once mentioned which country I am from.
We all know things are far from perfect here, but if he thinks the Netherlands is such a magnificent place, then fucking live there.
@ DE GRIZ, if you don’t like what the guy has to say, MOVE ALONG BUCKO, no one needs you to read what he has to say. Your intolerance of others is exactly what is wrong with the entire Philippines, and much more. BUT, as far as your concerned,LOL, you make no sense what-so-ever and usually have only insults and are short on FACTS. Typical moronic dullard with an IQ hovering around 85…MAYBE !
How old are you? 16?
Mr. Lynch, your insults to the Filipinos are really way too much. So you can’t just pack up and go because you have a wife and 6 stepchildren. Maybe there are ways on how you can take them to the US of A. Or would you rather have them educated in a country where the system is bad, or a government with too much corruption, or a nation of no significance. So is your Fil-Am child then an embarrassment to you? So why really are you here in our country?
“Address the the problems in a constructive manner…”” what problems? Our country’s problems?
But you already started on the wrong foot! Personally, i don’t mind the criticisms, but you insulted us!!!!!!!!! And you’re married to a Filipino!!!!.
Oh, by the way, I AM PROUD TO BE A FILIPINO!! Warts and all!!!!
Address th
Yep, the first thing you say when you don’t like something is, “go back to your country.” Why don’t you learn something else, such as, “what do you suggest and how do you think we could accomplish that?”
“Address the the problems in a constructive manner…”” what problems? Our country’s problems?
But you already started on the wrong foot! Personally, i don’t mind the criticisms, but you insulted us!!!!!!!!!”
You have so many problems you are drowning in them and the MOST STUPID thing a Filipino can say is “what problems?” YOU people are your own greatest problem. You are uneducated and allow your government to fail to fund a proper education system.
Let me ask you this after stating some facts. Korea has somewhere around the 11th to 15th largest economy on earth and they have ZERO natural resources. How do they do that? I’ll tell you in a moment, but The Philippines has many natural resources and if this country did what Korea does, it could very well be the 7th or 8th largest economy on earth. Here is the answer to why Korea is successful and The Philippines is not. Korea has 45 million highly educated, hard working people who are rightfully proud of their very real accomplishments. The Philippines has 110 million under-educated LAZY people with only a misplaced sense of “Pinoy Pride” with nothing to be proud of. Guys of working age here start playing basketball and drinking rum @ 6:00 AM when normal people are getting ready for work. If they do not have a job, they are out looking for a job, not sitting home drinking or playing B’Ball.
Now, how do you justify the facts as a Filipino? C’Mon, what’s your excuse and how do you explain the many problems of this country?
Jerry,
here is my view and vision.
I met my very first pinay somehwere in 2009, mamy would follow suit. Now what did they all had in common?
They shouted and screamed in unison: “I am flawed, I have flaws, dont change me”.
Not one said: “I am working on my flaws. I want to be(come) the perfect human being; I want to be(come) the best engineer; I want to overcome those stupid flaws”.
Not one, said that.
Now fast forward 7 years later (2016) and we are here, with a new president. But dont you think, that the individual Filipino wants to change him/herself? Come on, lets not kid ourselves.
They need a president (or a god) who will make their problems go away.
I just wonder, how a president (or a god for that matter) can change the mediocraty in a country?
And particularly, they wont accept criticism from westerners (slavery, colonialism).
Furthermore its all in the culture that forbid change: holism, collectivism, harmony etc etc etc.
Robert, even the dumbing down of Americans is largely a product of social engineering. A first world country at that. Just Check the literacy stats and look at the TV programming.
Most Filipinos are constantly on survival mode, except for the haughty ones who might be psychologically compensating.
Klara,
I cant seeing myself watching TV all day and all night long when being unemployed. The day will pass by in a very slow pace/tempo that way. It will drive me nuts and crazy.
Okay, so I am illiterate. Then I am without any chance to move up the ranks. In that case, its really time to end my own life either by suicide or euthanasia. I will be of no use to the economy nor to anyone else. Am I harsh for myself? Well, I never been in those situations. So for me it means I will be useless. Hopefully, my parents would have thought twice before putting me on this planet. Love (not refering to the physical, intimate love) will make up for a lot of things but love doesnt pay the bills.
@ Cynthia, I am going to smack the next Filipino I see in the EU badmouthing the EU/USA/JAPAN, yes, just because of what you said Cynthia. ITS OK for Filipino’s to bash everything they do not like BUT as soon as someone bashed them its WHAH WHAH WHAH, go home Yankee….WELL, STAY WHERE YOU ARE, YOU AND ALL YOUR FELLOW COUNTRYMEN,HOW ABOUT THAT? HUH? WHAT?
Nope, you’re going to smack yourself in your ass because this is all TROLL BAIT. That’s why nobody is taking you seriously anymore due to your vile ad hominem and red herring comments. Go figure.
No one questions Duterte’s sanity when he says:”God told me to stop swearing…” but if Duterte said he was hearing voices tell him to stop swearing, and failed to mention that the voice was God’s, Duterte would be certified and shit-house bat-shit crazee!
Well, Duterte is bat-shit off his fuckin rocker, but “GOD” is OK with Filipino’s as they cheer him for tramling the constitution and murdering his fellow citizens without so much as a trial. LOL, Filipino’s will fall for that “GOD’ shit every time !LOL, did “GOD” tell Duterte to kill street level drug dealers too? LOL, sure he did !
Again, irrelevant incessant whining from you, of course. Like I said, no one is going to take you seriously.
‘God’ told him to stop swearing did he/she!? In which case, I wish God would pipe up more often and tell him a few more home truths. Very selective when & to whom this God speaks to me thinks. A cynic might consider God is being used, taken advantage of even – always utters just when a chap has run out of normal, rational or sane options. He’s a convenient God, and a real stickler for bad language. Nationwide top to bottom corruption, leading to widespread drug trafficking & abuse leading to sanctioned murder and a failed country are by-the-by, but take care with those profanities!